Pyrotechnic apparatus



April 9, 1963 INVENTOR. RTHUR ROZZ/ ATTORNE 'United tates atent 3,08%,28 Patented Apr. 9, 1963.

'fine 3,084,62S PYRTECHNC ATPPARATU Arthur Rossi, oveiand, Ghia, assignor to Tri-State Mig. Co., inc., Loveland, hio, a corporation of hio Filed ct. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 843,789 3 Claizns. (Ci. 192-375) This invention relates to pyrotechnic apparatus, and is concerned particularly with the type of apparatus commonly referred to as a pinwheel.

An object of the inventicn is to provide an improved pyrotechnic device having novel characteristics which render it especially attractive and distinctive.

Another object is to incorporate in the pinwheel type pyrotechnic device, certain technical improvements which enhance and enliven the display without necessarily increasing the cost of manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pinwheel type of device which is reliable in performance and simple to operate.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l is a Side elevational view of the improved pyrotechnic device shown applied to a post or support in readiness for firing.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the improved device of the invention.

IG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a modification.

iFll-G. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

As represented in the drawing, the numeral 8 lindicates a pallet or Circular disc having a central reinforced opening 9 through which may be driven a nail 10 or other fastener, whereby the disc may be rotationally mounted to or upon a post 12 or other appropriate support. The disc may be of cardboard or other suitable material having the necessary rigidity, :and if desired, its central portion may carry a relatively thick and durable hub 13 in which the hole 9 is formed.

In FEGS. l, 2 and 3, the characters 14 and 15 indicate a pair of tubes, appropriately formed of cardbo-ard, or the like, which contain the pyrotechnic ingredients. These tubes are commonly referred to as pots, and for purposes of appearance may be covered or Wrapped with a decorative paper cover 16 gathered :at one end and tied as at 17. Sections of fuse material 18 and 19 enter the tied end of each pot, and may be retained therein by the string ties 17 which secure the paper cover. The unfused nose ends 20 of the pots are closed in any suitable manner to retain the ingredients.

As illustrated upon FIG. 2, the pots are applied to the disc substantially tangentially thereof, with the pots in approximate parallelism with one another, but With their fused tail ends pointing in opposite directions. Fixation of the pots to a common face of disc 8 may be accomplished with the use of an adhesive, a wire or other appropriate fastening expedient. In the instant example here disclosed, it may be assumed that the pots are glued to the disc face 21. The connecting fuse 19 which has its opposite ends anchored in the tail ends of the pots 14 and 15, may overlie the face 21 of the disc as shown.

The device of FIGS. l, 2, and 3, may be identfied as a smoke wheel, since it is constructed and charged to emit continuous streams of dense smoke from the fused tail ends of the pots when fired. Firing involves lighting the exposed end of fuse 18, which in turn ignites the connecting fuse 19 that fires the second pot 14. Due to the almost simultaneous igniting of fuses 18 and 19, both pots will be activated to emit their products of combustion in unison, through the tail ends thereof, lwith the result that the disc is rotated at high speed in the clockwise direction to produce an awesome display.

The ingredients and proportionate amounts thereof constituting the smoke wheel, may be according to the following -formulaz A slightly diiferent physical arrangement of parts characterizes the device of 'FIGS. 4 and 5. Here the pots 2.2 and 23 are so fused as to be activated in succession. That is, the fuse section 24 extending from the tail end 25 of pot 22 serves to activate pot 22, but the connecting fuse 26 does not ignite until the ingredients of pot 22 approach exhaustion. Near the period of exhaustion of pot 22, fuse 26 delivers the necessary flame -to the tail 27 of the second pot 23, to activate the latter. The products of combustion eject from the tail ends 25 and 27 of pots 22 and 23, respectively, to rotate the wheel at relatively slow speed in counter-clockwise direction.

The pots of FIGS. 4 and 5, like those previously described in the disclosure of FIGS. l to 3, may be glued or otherwise aiXed to one face of disc 8, and may be wrapped with :a decorative cover 28. The tail ends 25 and 27 of the pots should point in opposite directions as shown, and the pots should be mounted in substantial parallelism upon the disc 8, at opposite sides of the central aperture 9.

The construction of the device of FIGS. 4 and 5 adapts it particularly for use as a whistling wheel, due to the successive activation of the pots and the slow speed resulting. The ingredients and proportionate amounts thereof employed in the whistling wheel, may be subystantially in accordance with the following formula, by

weight:

Percent Sodium salicylate 30.5 Potassium perchlora-te 67.0 Red gum 2.5

The ingredients and the proportions thereof may be subject to substitution and limited variation, within the skill of persons conversant with the art, but I have found that unusual effects and reliable performance are assurcd when the recited formulae are adhered to in production -of the improved devices.

Various modifications and changes in structural details of the device may be resorted to, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from .the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pin wheel comprising the combination of a flat disk having a central opening to receive a supporting pin about which the disk rotates, a pair of pots, each a in the form of a tube of substantial length, lying against one face of the disk on opposite si-des of and equidistantly spaced from said opening, each pot being secured to said face of the disk along the surface of the pot which is in contact with the disk and the pots being substantally parallel with one another and having their transverlse centers located on a line extending diametrically of the disk and substantially perpendicular to the pots, each pot having a nose end and a tail end, the pots being positioned for discharge in opposite directions from their tail ends and along paths substantially parallel to the said face of the disk, a combustible blast generating materialV Within the pots releasable through the tail ends of the pots upon gnition, a starting fuse in and projecting from the tail end of one pot, :and a connectng fuse leading 1 from one of vthe ends of said one pot to the tail end of the other pot. i

speaas 4,- 2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the said one of the ends of said one pot is the tail end.

3. The invention according to claim l, Wherein the said one of the ends of said one pot is the nose end.

References Citetl in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 370,356 Schuetz Sept. 20, 1887 609,063 Weilfenbach Aug. 16, 1898 1,617,084 Shunk Feb. 8, 1927 1,805,945 Gehrig May 19, 1931 1,808,8l1 Gioiosa June 9, 1931 2,628,897 Vinton Feb. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 389,249

Great Britain Mar. 16, 1933 

1. A PIN WHEEL COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A FLAT DISK HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING TO RECEIVE A SUPPORTING PIN ABOUT WHICH THE DISK ROTATES, A PAIR OF POTS, EACH IN THE FORM OF A TUBE OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH, LYING AGAINST ONE FACE OF THE DISK ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF AND EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED FROM SAID OPENING, EACH POT BEING SECURED TO SAID FACE OF THE DISK ALONG THE SURFACE OF THE POT WHICH IS IN CONTACT WITH THE DISK AND THE POTS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH ONE ANOTHER AND HAVING THEIR TRANSVERSE CENTERS LOCATED ON A LINE EXTENDING DIAMETRICALLY OF THE DISK AND SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE POTS, EACH POT HAVING A NOSE END AND A TAIL END, THE POTS BEING POSITIONED FOR DISCHARGE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM THEIR TAIL ENDS AND ALONG PATHS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE SAID FACE OF THE DISK, A COMBUSTIBLE BLAST GENERATING MATERIAL WITHIN THE POTS RELEASABLE THROUGH THE TAIL ENDS OF THE POTS UPON IGNITION, A STARTING FUSE IN AND PROJECTING FROM THE TAIL END OF ONE POT, AND A CONNECTING FUSE LEADING FROM ONE OF THE ENDS OF SAID POT TO THE TAIL END OF THE OTHER POT. 